The Cellars of Old Pardoes, 7-9 King Square

Members of the Bridgwater Heritage Group and the Bridgwater & District Archaeological Society were able to inspect the cellars of these properties which lie approximately at the southern corner of Henry Harvey’s mansion with Bridgwater Castle.

The visits took place in January and February 2011. The structures seen have now largely been covered-up by building works for Castle Apartments.

The Ruins of Henry Harvey’s House, which was converted from the internal gatehouse of Bridgwater Castle, surveyed in 1777 and overlaid on the modern plan of King Square. The ruins were demolished to make way for King Square and much of the stone presumably being used in the construction of the new town houses in 1813. Features in the cellars of King Square (and Castle Street, Queen Street and even parts of the Cornhill) may preserve in-situ fragments of Bridgwater Castle.

First Visit

Initial visit. Features explored were stone walls, well and polychromatic window

  • Front cellar bordering King Square curved wall North is on the Left, East on Right
  • Front Cellar
  • Front Cellar
  • Polychromatic Window
  • Second House (no.8) cellar
  • Second house cellar
  • second house, wall orginial masonry to L and rebuild to R
  • stone wall up basement stairs second house
  • Well in second house ca 6ft across 20ft deep
  • Well second house Wembdon stone lined

Second Visit

The houses are numbered from the east i.e H1 is the eastern-most (no.9)

  • H2 (no.8) looking N
  • H2 looking N
  • H2 looking W
  • H2 well
  • H2 well
  • H2 well
  • H2 well
  • H2 well
  • H1 (no.9) looking E left flank
  • H1 looking E right curved flank
  • H1 looking E right curved flank
  • H1 looking NE right curved flank
  • H1 looking NE right curved flank
  • H1 close up of red wembdon sdst with leucocratic mortar with up to 10mm stone and lumps of unburnt lime
  • H1 looking E large stone is hamstone and lias therfore rebuild
  • H1 looking E in second room to S
  • H3 (no.7) looking NW
  • H3 looking NW
  • H3 looking NW
  • H3 in NW corner with brick at vertical joint
  • H3 looking W
  • H3 stone trough
  • H4 flagstone floor in rear part of house (no.7) looking S

Third Visit

Fourth Visit

  • H2 celler under roadway looking N
  • H2 cellar under roadway looking N
  • H2 junction of pillar and newer work looking W
  • H2 pillar and newer work looking W
  • H2 well staff is touching water
  • H2 photographing the well Brian Withers (staff), Alan Hudson kneeling, Peter Cattermole with camera
  • H2 well feature centre may be overflow channel
  • H1 curved wall looking N
  • H1 curved wall mortar close-up
  • H1 east wall with brick courses below window

Dr Peter Cattermole 27 May 2014